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Southampton, a major cruise port in southern England that is the U.K. home of the Queen Mary cruise ship, is where transatlantic cruises dock. Additionally, Southampton is only about an hour away from London, by bus, car or train. Direct connections to Ireland via air are available, as are daily connections by a combination of land travel and ferryboat. While numerous cruises are available to Ireland from Southampton, they are all round trip and generally are on set itineraries.

Flights

Southampton Airport offers three direct flights to Dublin each weekday and two flights per day on the weekend. The trip takes approximately 1 1/2 hours and is by far the fastest way to travel to Ireland from Southampton. In addition to the airport in town, Southampton is about 70 miles south of London's Heathrow Airport and approximately 90 miles southwest of London's Gatwick Airport. Both London airports offer numerous flights to most major cities in Ireland on a daily basis.

Train to Ferry

Wales' Arriva Trains offers train and ferry passage to Ireland on one ticket. The program is called Sail Rail and offers departures from Fishguard in south Wales to Rosslare in County Wexford, Ireland. Trains to Dublin and other parts of Ireland depart Rosslare on a regular basis. Additionally, Arriva offers service from Holyhead in north Wales direct to Dublin. Each trip takes between 11 and 13 hours, and advanced booking is recommended.

Bus to Ferry

England's national bus company, the National Express, has daily bus-to-ferry service from London to Dublin. Buses depart Southampton numerous times daily for Victoria Station in London, where passengers transfer to a ferry-bound bus. The trip takes between 12 and 16 hours, depending on traffic, transfers and ferry connections. The ferry-bound buses are operated by Eurolines, which is a part of National Express; however, you can purchase tickets for the entire journey from National Express.

Drive to Ferry

Southampton is served by the M3 and M40 motorways. The M3 runs directly into London, and the M40 travels northward toward Birmingham and connects to various other motorways in England. The major ferry ports for Ireland-bound ships are in Wales; however, a few ferries travel between Liverpool, England and Dublin. Liverpool and Fishguard, Wales, are both approximately 4 1/2 hours away by car, and Holyhead is 5 1/2 hours away. Ferry trips take between four and eight hours from each of these cities, depending on boat speed. Car-ferry service is available if you choose to take your vehicle into Ireland.

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About the Author

Based in New York City, Virginia Watson has been writing and editing professionally since 2004. Her work has appeared in magazines including "The Roanoker Magazine," "Blue Ridge Country," "Pinnacle Living" and the award-winning "Virginia State Travel Guide." Watson holds a Master of Arts in philosophy of education from Virginia Polytechnic and State University.

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